“Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island offers deal for Michigan residents - MLive.com”

Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island offers deal for Michigan residents - MLive.com

Posted: 14 Mar 2010 05:02 AM PDT

By Andrea Tamboer | The Grand Rapids Press

March 14, 2010, 8:00AM

Courtesy photoThe Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island is offering a two-day discount in May to Michigan residents.MACKINAC ISLAND — Michigan residents, the Grand Hotel feels your pain.

The historic hotel is offering Michigan residents half off its regular rates on May 23 and 24 during a special "Celebrate Michigan" promotion.

The impetus for the deal is three-fold, said Dan Musser III, third-generation owner of the landmark property on Mackinac Island.

"We want to say thank you to Michigan residents who have been pretty darn loyal to us," Musser said, noting more than half of its guests each season are from the Great Lakes state. "And we also want to reach out to visitors who might have always wanted to stay here, but couldn't afford to, especially in this economy."

Pure Michigan economics
Third, the grand dame of Michigan hotels seeks to boost occupancy rates before the start of the peak summer tourism season, which typically kicks off on Memorial Day weekend. In May, the hotel, which has 385 rooms, draws about 80 percent of its business from conventions, which are down this year, he said.

"Late May can be great, or it can be chilly," Musser said. "The key is that no matter the weather, guests (during the special) will get the same experience as other times."

In 2008 and 2009, Travel+Leisure magazine named the Grand Hotel, which opened in 1887, among the Best Hotels in the World, further listing the property as one of the best resorts in the U.S. and Canada for parents and kids.

Here are the details:

Cost is $75 per person, per night (not including taxes and hotel fees).

Guests can stay one or both nights.

The resort's famed five-course dinner is included each night.

For dinner, men are required to wear jackets and ties; women must wear dresses.

"This is not a pretentious affair," he said. "It's not a quiet, candle-lit meal. There is an in-house orchestra, and guests often dance between courses."

Children are welcome at dinner.

"There's 800 people dining; it's lively and loud," added Ken Haywood, director of sales and marketing. "It's very friendly — more traditional than formal."

Breakfast each morning is part of the package.

A round of golf is included at The Jewel, the resort's 18-hole course.

A reception, featuring Michigan wines and food, is included.

Book now

The key is booking soon with reservations starting at 8 a.m. today.
"Those who book first will get the nicest rooms, those facing the water," Musser said.

He said if this first venture is successful, a similar promotion might be offered in the fall or repeated next spring.

As a further enticement, Musser mentioned his great-uncle's well-known grand pecan ball for dessert: Vanilla ice cream rolled in roasted pecans with a quarter-inch of hot fudge sauce.

"It's our signature dessert. Before the opening of the resort (May 5 this year) each season, our family samples this to make sure it's just right."

Now that's the way to treat a guest.

To reserve the Celebrate Michigan package, call (800) 334-7263, or go to grandhotel.com.

E-mail Andrea Tamboer: atamboer@grpress.com

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Monday, March 15, 2010